By Wallace Mawire
Fastjet Zimbabwe on 24 October,2025 celebrated 10 years of providing low cost aviation services to citizens in Zimbabwe and the SADC region.
Donahue Cortes,Fastjet Zimbabwe Business CEO and Country Head said at an anniversary commemoration event held in Harare that what started as a bold vision, with one aircraft and one destination in 2015 by the airline has evolved into an award winning airline, earning local respect and international recognition.
“Our journey began 10 years ago with one clear vision,to make air travel accessible to everyone,” Cortes said. The airline’s vision was built and has evolved on four cornerstones, which are affordable fares, excellent customer service, reliability and safety.
Cortes said over the past decade,their airline has transformed from operating it’s very first aircraft,a single Airbus A319 affectionately named after the iconic King of the Jungle in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park,”Cecil the Lion,” to today’s ERJ145 fleet of regional jets. He said throughout the years, their network has grown into something far beyond just a means of transportation, but into a powerful connection, uniting friends, families, businesses, destinations and dreams across Zimbabwe and beyond.
Through Fastjet Zimbabwe intervention, today business travellers are able to fly conveniently between Harare, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, Lusaka, Zambia and Johannesburg, South Africa. Tourism has been central to the airline’s identity and has been close to it’s heart, according to Cortes. He said the airline’s inaugural flight,10 years back,was to Victoria Falls,a choice which Cortes said as defined the airline as proud ambassadors of Zimbabwe’s tourism industry.
Victoria Falls today stands as the airline”s vibrant tourism hub, which is often alive with the sight of four fastjet aircraft arriving or preparing to depart for Harare, Bulawayo, Johannesburg or Kruger,Mpumalanga. Cortes said the airline stands with pride having contributed to connecting thousands of visitors to the magnificent wonder for over a decade, with reliable scheduled air services that celebrate and showcase the best of Zimbabwe.
The airline has thanked the continued support and guidance received from the Ministry of Transport and infrastructure Development, the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) and the Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ). Cortes said the airline has grown into an award winning African airline that has earned global recognition and achieved lOSA registration.
He said this has proved to be a testament to the strength and standards of the airline and the country’s aviation sector. The airline also continues to welcome first time flyers and says it continues to deliver on it’s promise and commitment that “Fastjet is for everyone.”
Looking ahead, Cortes said while they currently serve the top three domestic cities in Zimbabwe, their ambitions do not stop there. He said through ongoing engagements with the Airports Company of Zimbabwe, they are encouraged by the development work taking place at Grand Reef, Kariba,Masvingo and Buffalo Range airports in Zimbabwe. He said the destinations are firmly on their radar. He said the airline network and route development team continues to explore opportunities ahead.
The airline also announced on the planned acquisition of an additional Embraer ERJ145 new aircraft to join their Zimbabwean registered fleet. Cortes said the fleet addition represents confidence in the market ,it’s people and in the airline’s collaborative professional relationship with aviation, travel and tourism stakeholders.